Disney Channels Return to YouTube TV
- Paul Thurrott
- Dec 19, 2021
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After a two-day absence, Disney’s channels—ABC, ESPN, the Disney Channel, FX, and others—have returned to YouTube TV.
“We are pleased to announce that after a brief disruption, we have reached a new distribution agreement with Google’s YouTube TV for continued carriage of our portfolio of networks,” a Walt Disney Company statement explains. “We appreciate Google’s collaboration to reach fair terms that are consistent with the market, and we’re thrilled that our robust lineup of live sports and news plus kids, family, and general entertainment programming is in the process of being restored to YouTube TV subscribers across the country.”
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As you may recall, YouTube TV last week alerted its 4+ million customers that they may lose Disney’s channels because the two firms were unable to reach “an equitable agreement” on the cost of those channels. And when the deadline arrived on December 17, sure enough, Disney’s channels disappeared from YouTube TV and Google lowered the monthly cost of the service by $15 to $49.99, giving consumers a rare peek at how much media behemoths like Disney charge TV services for their wares.
With Disney back on YouTube, however, some customers may be disappointed to discover that the savings disappeared after just two days. So Google is offering all YouTube TV customers a one-time $15 credit.
“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney to return their content to YouTube TV while preserving a $64.99/mo. price for our members,” a Google statement notes. “As we promised a $15 discount while the Disney content remained off-platform, we will still honor a one-time credit for all impacted members. For active members who have not yet received that $15 discount on their monthly bill, you will automatically receive a one-time credit on your next bill with no action needed.”